We're All Stories In The End by Megan Rees (book club reads txt) 📕

“I’ve seen a few scars on your arms which look like burns and whip marks,” Luna said, her voice wavering with concern. “What sort of things would they do to you?”

“They’d bring out belts, canes, whips, burning hot pokers… maybe even the occasional rock-throwing if I got lucky,” Ash answered uneasily. “You name it, I’ve probably felt it’s wrath.”

“What did they attack you with in Raven’s Run?” Luna went on.

“Belt and poker: classic favourites,” the Pureblood sighed, shuddering like he was cold. “They got my back and my left hand.”

“Let me see your hand – I might be able to help you out.” Luna instructed, sitting on the windowsill so she was opposite him.

Ash stuck out his hand obediently, which showed a scorch mark on the back and a long cut on his palm. His friend let out a long whistle. “That looks nasty.”

“No kidding,” Ash responded blandly, rolling his eyes. “Can you do anything to stop the pain?”

“I’ve got a few plasters and bandages, but not much else. I thought it wasn’t going to be that bad.” Luna sighed, shaking her head.

“Get a bandage. I can wrap it around my hand so it’ll be safe from infection.”

~

Once Ash’s hand was bandaged up, the two teenagers crept along the quiet corridor and down the stairs, which were rather unsteady for the first few steps despite the staircase being rather fancy. Luna slipped on the fifth step, but Ash caught her wrist before she fell with his good hand. He stared at her in concern. “Okay?”

Luna nodded. “I’m fine.”

“Just be careful. We can’t be delayed much longer here.” Ash instructed sternly.

“In a hurry, are we?”

Luna nearly had a heart attack when Celeste appeared at the top of the stairs just behind them. Her wavy brown hair was hanging loose over her shoulders as usual, but she was trailing around in a furry black dressing gown which exposed her slender legs. Her arms were folded as she sighed at the two newcomers, frowning in disapproval. “You’re both up very early. Sneaking off without saying goodbye, eh?”

“We haven’t got our bags with us, stupid,” Ash retorted back hotly. “We are on a mission of vital importance, but saving our kind comes after breakfast.”

“You guys only just got here. How long have you been in the Normal world – three, four days now? You need to let yourself go and have some fun here rather than just concentrating on your mission of vital importance all the time!” Celeste exclaimed brightly.

“We’ve already been to a party and nearly got ourselves killed because the host was actually a Demon. I’m not risking mine or Luna’s life again because you want to exploit the wondrous delights of the Normal world which you have clearly been tempted into.” Ash replied, an icy edge to his voice.

“That’s the best part of life here. Who knows, we might be able to cheer you up too,” the werewolf insisted, giving him a cheeky wink before skipping nimbly down the stairs. She then stared up at Luna. “Hey Lu, I’m sure you can part away from your delightful boyfriend for a few minutes to help me out with something!”

The brown haired boy scowled at the word ‘boyfriend’, but Luna nodded obediently and followed the older girl down the flight of stairs and into the kitchen, where a stone-faced man with white wings sprouting from his back sat at one of the chairs. He rose to his feet when the two teenagers entered the room, narrowing his hazel eyes at Luna. “Are you Cassie’s kid?”

“Nah, her very fit boyfriend is,” Celeste chimed in, fumbling around in the drawers beneath the sink. “That’s Luna. She’s Mia’s and George’s daughter.”

The man smiled at her. “So you’re the little one they had. I’m Nigel Rarogn – I was a friend of your father’s before I left Nighthollow. He and Mia were just made for each other, mark my words. How are they?”

“They’re both dead,” Luna replied thinly. “And Ash isn’t my boyfriend either, Celeste!”

“I win the bet.” Leon announced loudly, appearing at the doorway suddenly.

Luna stiffened. “What bet?”

“Cece went on and on about you and Ash being an item, but I bet her a fiver that you weren’t,” Leon had a sly grin on his face. “As you aren’t, she owes me five pounds.”

“Stupid Pureblood-Winged children,” Celeste muttered under her breath before revealing a blue can. “Here Lu, you can come and help me feed the moggies.”

“You keep cats?” Luna was slightly surprised.

“Yeah, we’ve got three. Fat lazy things they are,” the werewolf sighed, shaking her head. “I have to wolf out away from them otherwise they’ll have a heart attack.”

“Even werewolves have their flaws.” Leon teased.

Luna suddenly heard a loud hiss, followed by an annoyed groan of, “Damn cat!”

“That doesn’t sound promising,” Celeste gulped, exchanging a glance with Nigel. “Is Flint awake?”

The man nodded regretfully. “Yes.”

“Who’s Flint?” Luna inquired, tossing her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder.

“I am.”

Luna jumped and spun round to see a tall man leaning against the door frame unsteadily, swigging from a brown glass bottle. He had a grey beard just touching his chest, out-of-control silver hair like a mad scientist and sluggish brown eyes. He stunk strongly of drink, which was why Luna felt a bit nervous of him.

“Flint’s a permanent lodger like me,” Celeste explained. “He usually drowns his sorrows out in his room, so this is a rare sight indeed.”

“He’s half-Normal and half-Demon. Don’t ask for the details,” Leon added grimly. “I don’t even know how that happened.”

“Watch your tongue, Halfblood,” Flint warned him sternly. “I am not the only one who has mixed blood. Winged and Pureblood is an unusual mix.”

“Halfblood sounds a cruel term,” Luna commented hastily. “Can’t you change it to something else? You use the word as if it’s a weapon.”

“Oh, but it is. Halfbloods are looked down upon for their heritage in your fantasy world. Among the Normals, no one cares.” Flint responded, his voice taking an icy edge.

“There’s no need to frighten our guest with your drunken mishaps,” Nigel butted in airily. “Luna, perhaps it would be for the best if you went with Celeste to feed the cats. If you bump into your friend on the way, you can tell him that he’s welcome to get some breakfast.”

“I think he can find it by sensing. He never says no to food.” Luna assured the man, following Celeste out of the door and through the hallway. The werewolf girl was carrying two tins of what looked like to be tuna which gave off a revolting stench which made Luna want to be sick.

A fluffy dark grey tomcat strode through the hallway, his wide dark blue eyes fixed on the cans of tuna and licking his lips greedily. Celeste halted and bent down to give the cat a scratch behind the ears. “Hey there, Bungalow.”

Luna raised one eyebrow. “Bungalow? You called the cat Bungalow?”

“It’s not illegal now, is it?” Celeste replied, giving Bungalow’s fluffy fat belly a tickle. “Come along chubby; take us to Jabba and Meow.”

“You really need to work on your cat names.” Luna commented half-mockingly and half-kindly.

“I didn’t name them – that was Leon and Flint. Leon named Meow because she used to meow all the time and when he was little he would frequently try and fail to speak cat. Flint named Bungalow because he used to live in one and Jabba was named after the baddie in Star Wars.” the older girl explained.

Before Luna could reply, two more cats ambled out. One was a tiny black and white she-cat, while her companion was a tall dark brown tabby with narrow hazel eyes. Both of them had very fat stomachs.

Celeste pulled down a plastic bowl from the cupboard and opened the tuna cans, tipping the horrible food into the bowl. “There you go. Eat until you explode.”

She’s certainly a nice owner. Luna reflected privately.

“Shall we go and grab breakfast?” Celeste asked, making the Pureblood’s thoughts fade away. “Emma makes a mean bacon and egg bagel. You have to try one!”

Smiling, the teenager followed the werewolf back to the kitchen, thinking to herself, Celeste’s a bit odd, but I think I could grow to like her a lot.

Ash rolled the dice across the table with his good hand, watching intently as it landed on a four. “Oh great. Back in jail once again.”

Leon leaned back against the wall, one arm slung over his leg casually. “It happens.”

“Yes, but I’ve ended up in jail so much that I might as well live there,” Ash sighed, moving his playing piece into the jail square. “Your go, Celeste.”

“Please, just call me Cece,” the werewolf amended, giving him a cheeky smile. “Celeste is such a posh snob name.”

“I think it’s very unique.” Ash replied, handing her the dice.

“Thanks.” Celeste answered, the word coming out of her throat like a purr. Luna stiffened slightly at her tone, but didn’t object. The last thing she wanted to do was fall out with the sixteen year old werewolf – she knew what her kind was capable of.

“Seeing as you’ve rolled a nine, you’re on my property and I know that you can’t afford it,” Leon commented, holding his hand out to Celeste. “Pay up. You’re bankrupt and therefore the loser.”

While Celeste grudgingly handed her play money over, Luna counted her’s up. One thousand and seven hundred pounds wasn’t too bad, but she could see that Leon was clearly the winner.

“I’ve got nine hundred and sixty-three pounds, so I guess I’m third considering the amount of money Luna has,” Ash announced, clearing the board. “What do you want to do now?”

“We should go out shopping!” Celeste squealed.

Leon pulled a disgusted face. “Ugh. Typical girl putting her wardrobe before herself.”

“It’s raining outside, kids,” Nigel added, looking up from his newspaper. “It would be better if you found something to do in here. Besides, if Celeste decides to wolf out in one of the shops somewhere, you’ll all be in deep trouble with the police.”

“Ash was telling me that he and Luna were staying with other Purebloods,” Leon suggested. “I think it would be a good idea to give them a call to let them know you’re alive. I can imagine that they’re frantic.”

“I left them because we all nearly died in Raven’s Run. I opted for Luna to come with me because I know she’d follow me anyway,” Ash responded coldly. “If we contact them, they’ll find us and get themselves killed.”

“You left my cousin behind,” Celeste pointed out. “If he’s like me, you should have brought him. I would have loved to meet him.”

“He’s socially awkward, very clever and a real bookworm,” Luna explained. “You’re nothing alike in any way, not even in your looks.”

“He must have a really cool power.” Celeste commented, flicking her hair back.

“Don’t make me laugh. Atlas is an interpreter – he doesn’t have superhuman strength or whatever you may have thought,” Ash confirmed. “He hasn’t got bad aim with a weapon, though.”

Celeste just nodded, not really listening. Luna noticed that her